Printing custom T-shirts, mugs, and hats

[Tav_Behemoth]

I'm wondering what companies folks have used to do small runs of custom items like T-shirts, mugs, and hats. What are the average prices, and how do they scale? Any issues I should be on the lookout for?

Companies in the NYC area and/or that work quickly would be especially helpful for my purposes!

[jdagna]

For small runs of a wide variety of items, I don't think you can beat CafePress.com (you can order a single item, but retail discounts of 35% start at 15 at a time).  I've done posters through them and may do some other items in the future.

For other items, I've used Thread Impressions (threadimpressions.com) for embroidered shirts and vinyl display banners and Logo Expressions (not sure of a URL for them) for imprinted pencils and keychains.  I know the owners of Thread Impressions personally and you will not find better people, service or prices, but they are located out here in western Washington.

[Erick Wujcik]

I'm wondering what companies folks have used to do small runs of custom items like T-shirts, mugs, and hats...

In order to answer intelligently, I really need to know what you mean by 'small' runs.

There's a huge difference between six, sixty, and six hundred, and those all all 'small' by printing standards.

If the answer is 'six,' the previous answer about cafepress.com is probably your best bet.

Erick

[Tav_Behemoth]

Thanks, Justin and Erick. My definition of small would be between six and sixty; is the Cafe Press discount competitive / superior in this range?

[jdagna]

Well, like I said, CafePress's break-point is at 15+ items, which qualifies you for 35% of their price for smaller quantities.  I don't think there are any breakpoints for larger orders, but it should work well for you.

The Logo Expressions stuff (pencils and keychains) were both in lots of 1000, but their catalog lists different price cutoffs for every item (sometimes you only need to get 5 or 10).

Thread Impressions has a very good price even one at a time, but there are extra discounts for larger quantities (the first break point is at 10+ embroidered shirts, but I don't know about other items for them).

The thing to do, with any company, is to call them up and talk to them about what you want.  This is actually a good idea even if they have catalogs or websites, for two reasons.  

First, if you can find a supplier who has a remainder quantity unsold (for example, maybe they have 50 coffee mugs sitting around and can't restock that style), then you may get a really good price break on those items.  Always ask about what they'd recommend. Our pencils were a limited time special at $100 per 1000 instead of $130.

Second, if a supplier believes that giving you a break now will mean more business later, you may get a better price.  One printer shaved a run down from $1250 to $1000 based on nothing more than a verbal promise that I'd be back.  (On a later project, he printed 500 covers to make it worth setting up the press, then bound and sold me just the 100 copies I wanted, keeping the rest for when I re-order).  Smaller, newer companies are more likely to do this, but no one will offer it to you if you don't chat with them for a while so they can feel safe in making the offer.